Fuel-control system



V. K. WALKER. ADMINISTRATRIX.

FUEL CONTROL SYSTEM.

APPLICATloN FILED (w114. 191" L4289793. humus-9.1mm. n w22,

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PXI? UME rE/r HYDROGE/V A T ORA/EV YD N: \m /H'j w w @www FRED tCK L. MCGAHAN, 0F LOS ANGELES, CALFORNA; VIOLA K. WALKER, AID.

EHNESTRATMX QF SAIE .FREDERICK L.

MCGAHAN, DECEASED, ASSIGNOR T0 THE TRUST COMFANY.

FUEL-CGNTROL SYSTEME.

.application tiled October 14,

To all @itam 'it may concern.'

Be itl'lrnown that ll, Fnnonaien L. Mc- GAHAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of Caliornia, have invented certain new and useful limprovements in Fuel-Control Systems, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to apparatus for supplying gaseous or liquid fuel to furnaces.

rlhe object of the invention is to provide such apparatus with means for nutcrfnatically controlling the flow of fuel to the furnace, and for iving an alarm when the temperature of t e Jfurnace has reached a predetermined point.

The above objects are accomplished by providing the furnace with a high resistance pyrometer, which in combination with a galvanometer and a source of current serves to indicate the temperature ot the furnace in a manner well known in the art. 1n circuits which are in electrical parallelism with the high resistance pyrometer are arranged a series of marginal relays, one for each gasometer. rlthe resistances 'of these relays with relation to the resistance oi' the pyrometer are so adjusted that, so long as the temperature of the furnace is below the predetermined point, the current that passes through each of these relays is insuiiicient to operate their4 respective armatures. When the teinperature of the furnace reaches the predetermined point the resistance of the pyrometer will have increased. rThis increase of resistance causes a redistribution of the total current of the circuit between the parallel paths so that the marginal relays will receive a greater current than during the normal operation of the furnace. The relays will energize and each will close an independent circuit. Each of these circuits contains a source of current, a solenoid, and an alarm. The energization of each of the solenoids will cause the operation of each of the valves ofthe gasometers in such a way as to cause a reduction in the flow of the fluid. As soon as the temperature of the furnace will have,` lowered suciently the valves will again" be full opened.

' 1n tie accompanying drawings, forming part ot this specification..

l? ig. 1 is a diagrammatic showing of the 1918. Serial No. 258,126.

system including the fi "nace, gas tanks and burners.

Fig. 2 is a showing of the type of burner best adapted for my purposes.

Fig. 3 is a detail view of the diaphragm control valve.

l The furnace 1 is constructed substantially like that described in my Patent 1,290,268, dated January 7, 1919. The furnace is supplied by the blow plpe burners 2 with iiuic fuel from the L shaped gasometers 3. The e5 walls thereof. Circuit wires 13 are connected t5 one to each end of the resistance element 12 of the pyrometer and to wires L20 and 21, which in their turn are connected to the gal-y vanometer 8, which is provided with an indicator 9, and through the galvanometer to 8o the source of current G.

Across the wires 20 and 21 are connected a number of marginal relays 14, one for each gasoineter. rThese relays are thus put in parallel relation to each other and to the a5 resistance element of the pyrometer. When energized each of the marginai relays 14 closes an independent circuit, by means of the armature 15. This circuit comprises the source of current 7, the upper winding7 18 9o of the solenoid 16, the contacts closed by the armature 15, the wires a and the lower winding of the solenoid. In parallel with the lower winding of the solenoid is connected the electric alarm bell F. The core e5 16 of the solenoid 16 is mechanically connected by means 6 to the weighted lever 6 of the valves.

The operation of the system is as follows: During the normal operation of the furnace when the temperature of the reaction chamber is below the maximum teinperature allowable for the process the inarvginal relays are not energized. The resist- I ances of the relays 14 are so designed that 105 when the temperature oit the furnace is below the maximum allowable the total current of the circuit will be distributed over the parallel paths in such a manner` that the current received by each of the relays 14; is insuficient to operate their respective armatures. As the temperature of the reaction chamber increases the resistance of the pyrometer increases while the resista-nce of the relays 14 remain constant. This causes a redistribution of the current so that the relays jointly and severally receive a greater portion of the current and reater 1n amount thanvthe current receive when the temperature is low. .The current received by each of the relays thus continuously increases until the temperature of the reaction chamber reaches its maximum. At this point the current of each of the relays will have reached the value at which its magnetic strength is large enough to overcome the inertia oli the armature and the force ot its spring. Thus it will be seen that when the temperature of the reaction chamber reaches the redetermined maxi- :mum point relays 14 will energize and cause the closing of the contacts 15. The circuit hereinbefore described will become energized, the solenoid 16 will be energized and will draw the core 16a downward. This downward movement of the core 16a will raise the weighted lever 6 and close the respective valves. This will reduce the flow of uel and the temperature of the reaction chamber of the furnace will be consequently lowered. As soonas the temperature is lowered sufficiently the resistance of the pyrometer will be lowered, the. current will again redistribute itself more nearly in accordance with the normal conditions, that is the current in the relays 14 will go down to its inoperative value. The contacts 15 will consequently be opened, the solenoid 16 will be deenergized, and the weight of the lever 6 will move downward due to gravity, and the valve will again be opened to supply the normal amount of fuel.,v Thus it will be seen that the feed of fuel is made to automatically depend upon the temperature of the reaction chamber.

' Simultaneously with the energization of the solenoid 16 the bell F will energize and 'cause an alarm. This alarm will sound so long as the temperature of the reaction chamber is above the desired temperature, and will cease as soon as the temperature i will have gone down tonormal. rIhe continued sounding ofthe alarm will indicate p to the attendant that the temperature is too high for an undue length of time, and he will therefore attend to the system so asto reduce the temperature of the furnace reaction chamber and to put the system into operative condition.

Having thus described this invention, I hereby reserve the benefit of all changes in form, arrangement, order, or use of parts,

as it is evidentthat many minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of this invention or the sccipe of the following claims.

claim:

1. The combination of a furnace, a plurality oi tanks adapted to-feed duid fuel to said furnace, a pyroneeter in said furnace comprising a resistance element, a series of marginal relays connected in parallel with each other and with the said resistance element, a plurality of circuits each comprising a solenoid and normatif; open contacts, an means for closing said contacts when the temperature of the furnace reaches a predetermined point.

2. The combination of a furnace, a tank adapted to feed fluid fuel to said furnace, a pyrometer in said furnace, comprising a resistance element, a marginal relay connected in parallel with said resistance element, the resistance et said relay being so designed that it will draw its operative current only when the temperature of the pyrometer reaches a predetermined point, a circuit comprising a solenoid and normally open contacts, and means for closing said contacts when said marginal relay draws its oerative current.

3. he combination adapted to feed fluid and automatic means for reducing the flow of fluid comprising a pyrometer in said furnace, said pyrometer including a resistance element, a marginal relay connected in parallel with said resistance element, the resistance of said vmarginal relay being so designed that it will energize only when the temperature of the pyrometer reaches a predetermined point, a circuit comprising a of a furnace, a tank fuel to said furnace `solenoid and normally open contacts, means for closing said contacts, and means for reducing the flow of fuel when said solenoid is energized.

4. The combination of a furnace, a plurality of tanks adapted to feed fluid fuel to said furnace, a pyrometer in said furnace comprising a resistance element, a plurality of marginal relays connected electrically in parallel with each other and with the resistance element, the resistances of said marginal relays being so designed that each will draw its operative current only when the temperature of the pyrometer reaches a predetermined point, a plurality of circuits .each comprising a solenoid and normally open contacts, means for closing said contacts when said marginal relays draw their operative currents, and means operated by said solenoid when said contacts are closed to reduce the flow of fuel.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

FREDERTCK L. MCGHAN. 

